VOA标准英语2008年-Clinton Focuses on West Virginia, Obama Focuses

By Cindy Saine
Washington
12 May 2008

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is campaigning hard in West Virginia, ahead of a primary in the state Tuesday, which she is predicted to win by a large margin¹. But her Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama, is shifting his focus to the presumptive Republican nominee², Senator John McCain, and the general election in November. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.

Several recent opinion polls show Senator Clinton leading Senator Obama in the rural, mountainous state of West Virginia by close to 40 percentage points. Demographically, the state plays to Clinton's strengths, with a majority of white, working class voters.

The 60-year-old former First Lady is facing an uphill battle for the nomination³. But Senator Clinton, famous for her trademark⁴ colorful pantsuits, shared a letter from a supporter, encouraging her not to give up.

"My favorite message was from a woman named Angela," said Hillary Clinton. "Keep strong, she said, it is not over until the lady in the pantsuit says it is."

Her campaign has acknowledged that it is now $20 million in debt, while denying rumors⁵ that she is staying in the race to pursue a bid on the Democratic ticket with Senator Obama as his vice⁶ presidential running mate.

Obama has now surpassed Senator Clinton in the race for superdelegates, party officials and elected office holders⁷ who can vote as they please at the Democratic Party convention in August. He now has a commanding lead in the number of pledged delegates, and leads in the popular vote and among superdelegates.

Obama did go to West Virginia Monday, but has not pushed hard in the state, which only has 28 pledged delegates and is not likely to have a big impact on the overall delegate count.

Obama's campaign announced Monday that the 46-year-old will visit Michigan and Florida within the next two weeks, in a effort to win over voters in two states which have been stripped of their delegates by the Democratic Party for holding their primaries earlier than scheduled. A spokesman for the campaign says the two states will be part of a tour of five key battleground states for the general election, adding that Senator McCain has gone unchallenged for far too long.

Meanwhile, former Republican congressman⁸ Bob Barr launched a third-party bid for president Monday, saying voters tell him they want a better alternative to the candidates now in the race.

"They believe that America has more and better to offer than what the current political situation is serving up to us," Barr said.

Barr must first win the Libertarian nomination at the party's national convention later this month. He quit the Republican Party two years ago, saying he was disappointed with the party's failure to cut government spending and its willingness to violate civil liberties in the fight against terrorism. His candidacy could possibly peel a limited number of votes away from Senator McCain, as Ralph Nader, running as an independent, could take a small number of votes away from the Democratic nominee.

1 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

2 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

3 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

4 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

5 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。